Faded import colors

[maiaibing]

1) OK, I understand why RAW files may look different in LR compared to other RAW converters (even though I have Canon Xti & LR 2.2). But I would really like to be sure that LR is treating my RAWs as if they come from an Xti - because they look very different from for example the same RAW imported to CS4. How can I see, what is going on? LR only says "embedded" profile in the lower right corner of the development screen. Can I somewhere confirm that it sees the files as comming from the Xti and treats them correctly?

2) I do not understand - at all - why the same thing (faded colors) is happening to my JPEGs? Are they also being "developed" - even if they are actually scaned pictures (= no embedded camera profile). I would think LR let JPEGs be JPEGs.

(Btw. I use an advanced monitor with has been newly calibrated, so there should be no screen color issues at play)

 

[Mark Sirota]

If it says "embedded", you must be looking at a JPEG, not a raw file.

 

[maiaibing]

Two view...but the problem remains

If it says "embedded", you must be looking at a JPEG, not a raw file.

You're right, it does not say "embedded", but "adobe standard" (or another preset) for RAW.

However, the problem remains - I can not see anywhere, that LR actually chooses the correct corresponding camera profile (Canon Xti).

 

[Mark Sirota]

It's not visible, but it does. It knows what camera created the file, and chooses the appropriate profile.

 

[maiaibing]

JPEGs

It's not visible, but it does. It knows what camera created the file, and chooses the appropriate profile.

Thanks a lot. I'll have to learn to trust software :shock:

Do you know what is going on with the JPEGs?

 

[Mark Sirota]

LR should indeed let JPEGs be JPEGs. Perhaps you're applying a Develop preset on import?

 

[maiaibing]

I just re-imported my jpeg folders - made sure that there was no develop preset selected - and alas. Faded colors again.

I know that it is LightRoom at work here. Because if I ask LR to edit one of the jpegs in CS4 without LR adjustments the jpegs look like they should again inside CS4.

Any suggestions would be very welcome...

 

[Mark Sirota]

Try importing with the General - Zeroed preset, and see if that behaves differently. If so, then we'll try to figure out why.

 

[Victoria Bampton]

If you export one of those jpegs that you just imported, set to sRGB, does it look the same as the original when you look at it in another program?

 

[maiaibing]

Using "zeroed" preset did not help

Try importing with the General - Zeroed preset, and see if that behaves differently. If so, then we'll try to figure out why.

No dice Same problem as before when set to General - Zeroed preset (actually the fadded ones I had before in LightRoom look pretty much exactly like the ones I get with the "zeroed" preset).

Still, thanks for your suggestion!

Any other ideas?
:?

 

[maiaibing]

(Almost) The same in sRGB

If you export one of those jpegs that you just imported, set to sRGB, does it look the same as the original when you look at it in another program?

Thanks Victoria.

Yes, it does look (almost) the same as the original when I look at the sRGB-exported file in another program such as Irfan view or CS4.

So now you know the solution (holding my breath here...) ??? :mrgreen:

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Ok, that brings us back to monitor profiles, almost definitely. Just try, for the sake of experimentation, setting your monitor profile to sRGB. Instructions here: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2''8/12/28/corrupted-monitor-profile/

And let us know whether it looks right now....

 

[maiaibing]

SRGB profile certainly chaged the looks og it

Ok, that brings us back to monitor profiles, almost definitely. Just try, for the sake of experimentation, setting your monitor profile to sRGB. Instructions here: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/blog/2''8/12/28/corrupted-monitor-profile/

And let us know whether it looks right now....

We're moving in the right direction. Very close colors now in LR and other programmes.

But I have a hardware calibrated high end monitor and scanner set-up, so I am not happy staying with the sRGB profile. In what sense is it "corrupted" or does LR have problems with calibrated profiles?

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Some profiles, particularly high end profiles and manufacturer's canned profiles, have 2 parts - a relative colorimetric rendering and perceptual rendering. Most programs use relative colorimetric, and therefore it never notices if the perceptual rendering is corrupted. Lightroom uses the perceptual rendering if it's there.

So next question - how are you calibrating your monitor? And have you tried recalibrating it?

 

[maiaibing]

Some profiles, particularly high end profiles and manufacturer's canned profiles, have 2 parts - a relative colorimetric rendering and perceptual rendering. Most programs use relative colorimetric, and therefore it never notices if the perceptual rendering is corrupted. Lightroom uses the perceptual rendering if it's there.

So next question - how are you calibrating your monitor? And have you tried recalibrating it?

I used the iOne X-rite calibration system (and not the cheapest version). I usually re-calibrate every four weeks. I'll try to recalibrate & also check up on the two different types of profiles and then report back if it was solved.

Thanks a lot for the help so far

 

[maiaibing]

Intertim solution

Color mangement seems to be at play here, since LightRoom does not color manage quite the same way as most other programmes (well, actually most other programmes do not color manage at all).

There should really be some options to set up how LR color manages - esspecially we should be able to "copy" our Photoshop settings to LightRoom (and vice versa) automatically.

As an interrim solution I am simply setting a standard sRGB profile when editing jpg's in Lightroom - as I only do this in order to produce webimages.:roll:


In addition I found the following tip from Jao at LR Forum at Adobe helpful:

Jao How are you calibrating? Do the jpegs have a correct attached icc profile? If you see color differences between Lightroom and PS, they are due to two reasons normally. 1. Bad monitor profile (very common) and 2. bad setup of color management in CS 4. It needs to be set up to respect embedded profiles and to ask when profiles are missing or when they are different from the working space. So check your calibration (redo it), check whether the files are correctly tagged with their color space, and check your management settings in PS.

In your case, since you have a high end EIZO, which is probably a large gamut one. I think that probably your jpegs do not have attached profiles (they really should!). When you open such files in Lightroom sRGB is assumed leading to a desaturation on your monitor. You probably have CS 4 setup with adobeRGB working space and then the file will open up as adobeRGB.

(...cut...)

If you use an iOne, make sure that you generate a matrix profile and not a LUT based one. Lightroom does not correctly support LUT profiles. See this article

____

A big thanks to all of you who contributed to help me out here!

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[Victoria Bampton]

You have been busy maiaibing, I'll have a proper read tomorrow.